In 1952, Awdry volunteered as a guard on the Talyllyn Railway in Wales, then in its second year of preservation. [12] The railway inspired Awdry to create the Skarloey Railway, based on the Talyllyn, with some of his exploits being written into the stories. [13] Wilbert Awdry cuts a birthday cake for Thomas the Tank Engine at The National Railway Museum, York, 1990 The first three stories of this book take place in the latter half of 1952, while Paint Pots and Queens take place in 1953.

Unusually for children's books of the austerity period, The Railway Series was printed in full colour from the start, which is cited by many critics [ who?] as one of its major selling points in the early days.

The Railway Series is a series of British books about a railway known as the North Western Railway, located on the fictional Island of Sodor. There are 42 books in the series, the first published in May 1945 by the Rev. Wilbert Awdry. Twenty-six books were written by Awdry, the final one being written in October 1972. Sixteen more were written by his son, Christopher Awdry, between September 1983 and July 2011. The series features many anthropomorphic vehicles, including Thomas the Tank Engine. Thomas became the most popular and famous character in the series and the titular character of the television series Thomas & Friends from 1984 to 2021. The children's television series originated as adaptations of these stories. This is the first book to centre on a real engine, and was intended to promote the Bluebell Railway. Other Bluebell engines besides Stepney are referred to and appear in the pictures for "Stepney's Special". These included Bluebell, Primrose and Captain Baxter. "Adams" and "Cromford" were names applied by Awdry to the Bluebell Railway's Adams Radial Tank and North London Railway tank engine respectively. The book was originally to be titled The Fat Controller's Engines, but the publishers insisted on a Thomas link in the title. The Skarloey Railway needs another engine. The Thin Controller announces that a new one will be built. In the meantime, Peter Sam is sent to visit the Talyllyn Railway. The engine is finally completed, and the railway's engineer, Mr Hugh, is to unveil the name. He is surprised to discover that the engine has been named Ivo Hugh– after himself!

The events of the first three stories take place during 1988, while "Down the Drain" takes place in early 1989. Thomas the Tank Engine is an anthropomorphised fictional tank locomotive in the British Railway Series books by Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher, published from 1945. He became the most popular and famous character in the series, and is the titular protagonist in the accompanying television adaptation series Thomas & Friends [2] and its reboot Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go. This book was written at the suggestion of L. T. C. Rolt and was based upon the Talyllyn Railway. [ citation needed] All of the vehicles in The Railway Series were based on prototypical engines; Thomas's basis is the LB&SCR E2 class. [3] Thomas first appeared in 1946 in the second book in the series, Thomas the Tank Engine, and was the focus of the four short stories contained within. In The Railway Series and early episodes of Thomas & Friends, Thomas's best friends are Percy and Toby, though he is also close friends with Edward. Later episodes of Thomas & Friends have Thomas in a trio with James and Percy, and Percy is known as his best friend. James is one of the only engines who still does not trust diesels, which is not helped by the visit of a pompous diesel engine. He has a number of misadventures, but after a breakdown it is a diesel who helps him out, and he realises that diesel engines are not so bad after all.Percy's claim that the controllers on British Railways are cruel and "don't like engines" is a reference to the 1955 Modernisation Plan, under which steam locomotives were to be replaced by diesel and electric traction. The Rev. W. Awdry notes in the foreword that Percy is mistaken, and that the controllers had been very helpful in preserving steam locomotives. Indeed, it is worth noting that several of the Bluebell Railway's engines had only been saved thanks to the intervention of such controllers.

This was the first book to include a foreword, a feature that would appear in every subsequent book in the Series.The Fat Controller (originally The Fat Director in the earliest books which pre-dated the nationalisation of Britain's railways in 1948) was a fictional character, although Christopher Awdry has conceded that his doctor at the time may have provided an 'unconscious contribution' for his father. [11] The Thin Controller, in charge of the narrow-gauge engines in the books was based on Mr Edward Thomas, the manager of the Talyllyn Railway in its last years before enthusiasts took it over in 1951. [ citation needed] Thomas is seen with his front dip. At this time, he has a straight footplate. This was probably because of the illustrator not following directions. A number of the stories are based on articles which appeared in railway enthusiast publications of the period. The monthly Railway Magazine was a long-running enthusiasts' companion and the origins of several stories can be recognised. The railway books written by C. Hamilton Ellis, were another source. [11] British Railways: The Other Railway [ edit ]